


Those Brown Eyes

by BillieTheKid



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-01-17 08:34:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1380988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BillieTheKid/pseuds/BillieTheKid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bran is discovering himself all the time but then his world is shaken. This is a story about his family, his first love and everything in between.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Day the Earth Stood Still

Bran tried, I mean he really tried to understand what he was feeling. He knew deep down that it had nothing to do with the accident for that had been all of 2 years ago now and the only lasting remnants of it was the fact he couldn’t walk. He was well on his way to walking again, modern technology had given him hope and a shining light at the end of the tunnel. The doctors had said he might one day take a few steps and Bran was being cautiously optimistic. Now on top of everything he had to deal with, this was just another thing thrown in his face, it felt like a challenge he would never win and with his family constantly busy it felt like he was alone and insignificant. 

His family was quiet large and consisted of his strong tongued parents Catelyn and Eddard. Catelyn was a warrior at heart with long fiery red locks and eyes that seemed to portray her life’s story at a glance. Eddard on the other hand was soft hearted and loyal in nature and Bran couldn’t help but think they complemented each other nicely. He had 4 siblings well 5 if you counted Jon who was really adopted by the family. Jon's mother Lyanna and father Rhaegar had died in a car accident a few years previous and he had lived with the Starks from then on. So in reality he had 5 siblings Robb, Arya, Sansa, Rickon and the aforementioned Jon. He loved his family and knew he was lucky to have a strong support system. All of the family were similar in looks except for Jon who was not related to them. Bran had always pitied Jon for he was never truly treated as a Stark even if he had lived with them for 5 years. The relationship dynamic in the house was unusual however as Arya the youngest girl and Jon the orphan seemed to immediately be drawn to one another, Rickon the youngest was no doubt a mammy’s boy and spent every waking minute attached to Catelyn at the hip, Robb seemed to respect and have a solid relationship with all the family and Bran was much the same with a little dislike towards Sansa, although he could never figure out why. They all had secrets, of that he was sure; he suspected that Robb might be seeing someone and that Arya was taking fighting lessons on the side. Now he was holding a secret close to his heart that he knew he was real but he was still in denial about it. 

He remembered so clearly the night that he had first laid eyes on the cause of his current inner turmoil. The whole stark family had gone to the cinema to escape a visit from Tyrion Lannister who had asked earlier that day could he drop by for a chat. It was not that they hated or even disliked Tyrion it was the fact that you had to be in the right mood and frame of mind to deal with the man. Yes he was very high maintenance and slightly annoying but he was trustworthy, a trait that the Stark family appreciated in a person. So instead of inviting him over they had decided to escape the house and see the latest Hunger Games movie in the nearby town of Dorne. The movie for all intense and purposes was worthy of 5 stars and to everyone’s surprise Bran had also enjoyed the movie. The reason for their surprise was that Bran was very picky when it came to movies. He liked Iron Man but only ever watched the first and third films because he didn’t like a particular actor in the second movie. He even went so far as to refuse to watch the 2008 version of The Hulk as it did not keep with The Avengers storyline. After the movie they had argued for some time but eventually agreed to eat in the KFC across from the cinema. As they strolled nonchalantly over laughing and joking with one another Bran could feel someone’s eyes on him. It was a niggling feeling at first but it only grew stronger until he was forced to look up and face the metaphorical dragon that was staring him down. Of course bran was used to people from all walks of life staring at him, he had gotten used to it pretty soon after the accident and now he was nearly immune to it. 

He shifted in his seat and finally worked up the courage to glance at the person he had determined was staring at him. Slowly but surely he raised his mop of hair, shook away the unruly strands and was greeted with the most beautiful dusty brown eyes he had ever seen. His breathe hitched and he began to cough violently trying to regain his composure. Catelyn looked at him worriedly for a fraction of a second, nearly like she was worried she might lose him all over again but quickly calmed herself and politely asked ‘are you okay Bran?’ Bran nodded weakly and proceeded to stare down at his now cold chicken and chips. He was embarrassed at his reaction and he wanted the ground to swallow him up at that moment. When he was a little less red and a lot more confident he faced his family again. Robb and Jon had smirks on their faces while Arya seemed to look at him with a knowing expression on her face. Sansa sat in silence with no emotion shown on her face and Bran momentarily seemed to remember why he disliked Sansa. 

They returned to the stark residence around 10pm and were relieved to see no sign of Tyrion. The family uttered their goodnights to each other and parted ways for the night. Bran changed quickly into his pyjamas to avoid the cold and sank into bed as he usually did pulling them up to his chin and turning sideways to get comfortable. Bran had learned to take care of himself after the accident he could do most things himself, he liked the way he was independent and the only thing he needed was his wheelchair. Bran never dreamt nor did he think or relive the day’s events while he was trying to get to sleep. It was not that Bran didn’t like to reflect on things because he did, or that he didn’t want to remember good experiences it was the fact that whenever he started to think about his life or the past, he always ended up dwelling on that day, the day he fell from his horse. His horse was a giant steed all of 16 hands in height and muscled from his hind to his head. Bran had gotten him after months of pleading and whining about how he would look after him and feed him etc. Eddard being the soft one in the family had reluctantly agreed and it was obvious in some part that he blamed himself for Brans accident. After all Bran would be still walking had Eddard not gotten the horse. Bran had named the horse Ghost after some character from a TV show and had spent the majority of his time caring for Ghost. Indeed a lot had happened since then and Ghost had gone to another home while Bran was still cupped up in the hospital. He evidently missed his beloved companion but as he lay huddled tightly in his duvet covers he was not thinking about his family or even his accident he was thinking and reliving the moment he caught sight of those glorious brown eyes. 

Oh those brown eyes could stop the world he thought as he drifted asleep but little did he know that they would do exactly that!


	2. Surprised While Shopping

However hard Bran tried to figure out what he was feeling, Jojen already knew exactly what was going on and didn’t like it one bit! It meant that if anything ever became of his little crush he would have to admit the truth to his family and friends. He would have to shatter his parent’s dream of him having grandchildren and he would have to deal with his friends and the awkwardness that was sure to accompany such an admission. He didn’t want that, he just wasn’t ready. He didn’t think that he could give up his façade for this boy, but then he wasn’t even sure if the boy liked him. He had made eye contact with Jojen and nearly killed himself by choking but that could have been for any reason. 

The day had started out as a normal Saturday but had quickly deteriorated. He and his friends had meet up outside the shopping centre with the sole intention on buying as many different outfits as they could in the shortest amount of time. They were going to a party or something in a couple of weeks’ and his friends felt the need to ambush him into getting a new and stylish outfit. Jojen had never liked shopping not even with his friends. He thought it was vaguely funny that he hated something that was supposed to be one of his favourite things to do, being gay and all. But then Jojen never really followed social expectation and stereotypes. He was 14 and already far too serious and uptight regarding pretty much everything. If you had of asked him he would have said that he never thought he would have friends yet here he was joking and laughing with 2 of them. They had met not long after Jojen had moved in down the road from them and they became inseparable rapidly.

They were walking back to the main entrance past all the popular and expensive shops, the cinema and a couple of fast food restaurants. Jojen hated fast food, not cause of the taste or anything but because of the treatment the animals received. Whenever Jojen revealed why he never ate the stuff all he got was puzzled looks and smirks. It was as if they couldn’t believe that Jojen who was all too serious, mature and what some might call unemotional could care for something, let alone animals. It hurt him to think that people had such a one dimensional view of him but that was partially his fault, never getting close to a person for fear of rejection. He hadn’t even told his friends he was gay yet and that made him feel like a fraud. He had known since he was young but had only ever told his older sister Meera. She had taken it surprisingly well and seemed to fully accept him but then a part of Jojen suspected that she already knew. She always knew everything!

Jojen wasn’t looking at anyone particular in the restaurants. He was just observing the swarms of people that had made a conscious decision to eat slaughter animals. He wasn’t judging them, well he kind of was. He was looking through people not at them, that was until he saw the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. The boy in question was clearly around his age but there was something different about him. Jojen was not referring to the fact that he was clearly a cripple but to something he couldn’t quiet pinpoint. The young boy had wispy hair that was slightly grown out and in need of a haircut, his eyes were a similar colour to his own expect not as intense. He was pale and something told Jojen he would never colour even in a foreign country. The boy had a goofy smile and looked to be recounting a story of some sort to his beloved family. Jojen had an urge to intrude on their family get together. He didn’t know why but it was nearly like the boy was the negative side of a magnet and he was the positive. Both equally attracted to each other. Jojen and the boy locked eyes for little more than a second but it was electric, no-one even Jojen could deny that. The spell was broken when the poor boy started to choke and Jojen had to look away, a feeling of pity in his heart.

He wandered out of the shopping centre hoping his friends hadn’t seen his moment of affection for the boy. They parted ways, promised to text each other and before Jojen knew it he was left with his own thoughts. Jojen although enraptured with the boy who had caught his eye could not dwell on it for long. He was starting a new school in a week and was preoccupied with making a good impression. He was bullied at his old school. It didn’t bother him in the least, he knew he was different and he took the abuse but his dad was having none of it and insisted that he be moved to the local comprehensive school. He was nervous and so all his attention went into preparing for his first day not into daydreaming about the boy in KFC. The boy would have to wait he thought before he scolded himself and reminded himself that the likelihood of ever seeing the boy again was slim.


	3. Just Another Manic Monday

Bran had woken up hours before he needed to but that was not a problem for he had plenty on his mind. He passed the time by thinking about the brown eyed boy who had made him feel something he had never felt before. He thought about his mossy coloured hair and his piercing eyes, he thought about how he had made a fool of himself in front of him and he wondered if he would ever see the boy again. Maybe he thought just maybe the gods would grant him that one wish. The young boy had evoked feelings in him he had never experienced before and it startled him. Of course Bran knew all about a person’s sexuality, he had gotten ‘the talk’ from his father a year previous but as you can imagine he never considered that at the age of 14 he would discover he was different from his brothers, even more than he already was. He didn’t really have a problem with the fact he might be gay it was the part where he would have to tell his family that scared him. He knew Arya would be okay about it and Ned having been the one that mentioned it to him was clearly supportive but as for everyone else they were as unpredictable as was humanly possible.

After hours of reflecting Bran got up, got dressed and made his way down to the kitchen. He was greeted warmly by his rather large wolf-like dog Summer. Summer was bought for him after the accident when he yearned for a companion like Ghost. The rest of the family were drearily eating their breakfast as they prepared for the day to come. Arya was shouting about how she couldn’t understand why some girls in her class wore make-up, it was school she persisted not a fashion show. Sansa on the other hand was the complete opposite of Arya and treated school exactly like a fashion show. She was sat in the corner with a hand mirror and foundation brush meticulously applying the liquid cream. Rickon was attached to Catelyn’s hip as usual and she was rushing around the kitchen washing and cleaning everything in sight as she went. Ned was at the head of the table reading the newspaper and everyone seemed oblivious to each other’s existence expect for Jon and Robb who lately seemed to be spending every second together. Bran had become very observant as a result of having to sit and watch people play sport rather than join in himself. He could pick up on minute things now and he had noticed that Jon and Robb were never without each other. Bran tried to reason with himself about it, they had grown up together and were the same age so it was to be expected that they would be close, but Bran sensed there was more to the story. 

Before he could dwell on the family dynamics anymore they were ushered out of the house by a clearly frustrated Catelyn. They all took their assigned seats in the car and made their way to the primary school Rickon attended and the comprehensive school the rest attended. Rickon was dropped of first and from there it was a 10 minute trip to the local comprehensive. The stark children would often walk to school but that morning it was raining quiet heavily and Ned had taken pity on them. When they arrived Robb and Jon went to their locker room which was on the other side of the school, Sansa and Arya went their respective ways and so Bran wandered through the halls looking out for his friend Osha. Osha was the first person besides his family that had stopped tip toeing around him after the accident and they had become friends very quickly, their personalities nicely complementing the others. As he was nearing his locker room and once again daydreaming about the brown eyed boy he was stopped abruptly in his tracks by the principal Renly Baratheon. Renly was of average height with a friendly and welcoming aura, he was a good person and an even better principal. He treated everyone equally and was beyond fair in his rulings. He was one of the very few staff members that were likable, him, Mr.Loras Tyrell the P.E teacher, Mr.Jaime Lannister the English teacher and of course Ms. Daenerys Targaryen the science teacher were among some of the most popular teacher’s in the school. 

‘Bran could I have a word with you for a moment?’ principal Baratheon said in an authoritative voice all the while looking fondly at the boy before him. The Starks and Baratheons were family friends and so, while Renly was kind to the boy he could not be seen to be picking favourite students hence the stern voice.

‘Yes sir what is it?’ Bran replied, a smile lighting up his face at the thought of being able to help. He loved being of assistance to anyone and he supposed this trait had only gotten stronger after the accident as he strived to become independent again.

‘ We have 2 new students starting today Jojen reed and Meera Reed, I was wondering would you be able to show Jojen and Meera around as it is their first day and they don’t know the school layout’

‘Yeah sure where will I meet them?’

‘At the library after registration, you can take the first class off to show them around and then proceed with your day as normal. Thanks you so much bran you were the first on my list to help as you are very welcoming and no doubt will represent the school well’ And just like that Renly was gone leaving Bran to prepare himself for the task ahead.

Bran made his way to his locker room, got his books for the day and headed towards the library to meet the new students. He was curious, so much so that for a while he was thinking about something other the mysterious boy what had nearly killed him. What would they look like? Would they be nice or stuck up? Were they bullies and would they laugh at him because of his wheelchair? His mind raced as he pushed the door to the library open and came face to face with Jojen and Meera.


	4. New Beginnings

His legs were shaking and he could barely sit still. Jojen was squashed in the back of his father’s car huddled up against his sister Meera. They were travelling to their new school for their first day. They were both equally as nervous as each other: Meera nervous about fitting in and finding friends and Jojen nervous about what teachers he would get and the future of his education. Jojen along with being nervous was feeling a little bit guilty. He was the one that had been bullied and therefore the reason why they had to move school. He felt sorry for Meera she had friends and fitted in amazingly well at their old school and now she was going to be a nobody, a new kid. He knew she didn’t resent him in the slightest but it still bugged him to know he was the cause of her nervousness. If he never got picked on then this wouldn’t have been happening he thought to himself, then again he thought he’d rather be bullied than be fake and he knew Meera felt the same. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the car screeched to a halt and his sister nudged his arm gently.

‘Time to go little brother’ she said softly as if trying to calm him down somehow. He just looked at her however and nodded as if knowing they would have to face the reality that was the school sooner or later.

‘Im sorry’ he stuttered but was only shushed by Meera and guided out of the car. They walked confidently towards the entrance of the school all the while receiving funny looks and stares from the other students. 

The next 10 minutes went by in a flash and before the siblings knew what was happening they were in principal Baratheons office being guided through the rules and regulations, the dos and don’ts to school life and finally what classes they would be attending. Jojen had picked chemistry, biology and art as his optional subjects while Meera had picked physics, woodwork and biology. They were given their timetables and Jojen was delighted to see that he had double art last class on a Friday. Jojen was happy with his timetable until he compared it with Meera’s. They were in different years than each other and their timetables reflected that fact. They were saddened at the realisation that during nearly all of their classes they were at opposite sides of the school that meant that the likelihood of seeing each other was slim. Jojen would have to make friends then; he obviously didn’t want to be alone because if you are alone you are a target a fact Jojen knew all too well. He had friends of course but his two best friends went to a different school than he did and thus was the reason he was bullied in his old school. He was different and alone the perfect target. He hoped this time it would be different.

After the long and boring introduction Principal Baratheon had sent them to the library to wait for their tour guide. Jojen smirked at the idea of having a tour guide. He could figure his way around he thought but he came to the conclusion that he better humour the principal, get in his good books. During their wait Jojen and Meera exchanged small talk of no importance and again the feeling of guilt had returned. Meera seemed to notice this, gave Jojen an encouraging smile and changed the subject of their conversation to the weekend and what adventures they would get up to. 

Their conversation was stopped as the two heard sounds coming towards the library. Jojen held his breath and Meera let out a sigh as the door swung open and a young boy in a wheelchair rolled in. Jojen nearly fainted at the sight of the young boy and Meera had obviously seen his expression quickly rushing to make sure he was okay, but he couldn’t hear her, he couldn’t see her, all he could see was the one person that he had both longed to see again and had hoped he would never encounter.


	5. Going Numb

Both boys stood speechless mouth half open searching for words or phrases anything to break the awkward silence.

Bran could feel the heat rising up his neck towards his face and prayed with all of his might that it was not noticeable. He kept asking himself the same questions over and over again, was this real? How did this happen? Was it destiny? He tried to put all of those thoughts out of his mind, he had a job to do after all but it was easier said than done. He noted the boy was equally as shocked as he was and that comforted him slightly. He racked his brain for something to say and came up blank, thankfully he was saved by the person he assumed was Meera.

‘Are you okay? Do you guys know each other?’ she questioned all the while keeping a close eye on Jojen as if sensing that everything was not as it should have been. Bran got the impression that Meera always knew what was going on even if no words were uttered. It was like she had some sort of sixth sense or something. 

# 

Jojen stared and stared and stared and still couldn’t believe that the boy in front of him was the same boy he had seen all those weeks ago in KFC. He noticed that there was colour rising on the other boy’s neck and cheeks but that only increased Jojens heart rate further. How could anybody be so bloody cute he thought then scowled himself for having such a notion. He was in a new school and he had to make a good impression and that meant not getting into any trouble or compromising positions. It was the least he could do. He had forgotten that Meera was in the room with them that was until she spoke.

‘Are you okay? Do you guys know each other?’ she asked and Jojen cringed, of all the things she could have asked she had picked such a straightforward and simple question and one that was not easily answered. How was he supposed to answer a question he didn’t know the answer to? The reality of it was that they had meet, well if you count staring at each other across a crowed shopping centre. But Jojen came to the conclusion that by all social standards they were strangers therefore they hadn’t really meet.

‘Emm no, I’ve probably just seen him around’ Jojen answered a little hesitantly and he could see that his answer although true had affected the other boy.

# 

Bran didn’t know why it hurt so much to hear those words out of Jojens mouth. He had only just met the guy and didn’t really know anything about him only that he had a sister and was new to the school. Yes he had seen him at the shopping centre a while ago but that was the extent of their interaction so Jojen was right wasn’t he? 

‘Yeah that’s probably it, we should get on with the tour though I only have one class off’ whispered Bran without even thinking about what he was saying. He was too caught up with looking into Jojens eyes that he didn’t really care about holding up his end of the conversation. Jojens eyes Bran concluded had the ability to stop a person in their tracks and take their breath away. They were utterly beautiful and totally encapsulating. 

‘Yeah sounds good, by the way I’m Meera and this is Jojen’ with that sentence Meera reached out and shook brans hand as if it were a formal meeting.

‘Brandon stark but most people just call me Bran’ Bran replied proudly. He was saddened at the fact that Jojen had not shuck his hand. After Meera had, he just assumed that Jojen would do the same but evidently the other boy had different ideas. Despite that words cannot describe how happy Bran was when he realised that they hadn’t even commented on his wheelchair, they didn’t ask what had happened or any question remotely related to it. They had treated him like any other person and he was grateful for that.

# 

Jojen could not shake the boy’s hand, his body had become numb and to lift his hand would have taken all his energy. He realised early on his body had shut down as a result of being in the boys presence. It was as if his subconscious had noted that he had a soft spot for the boy and paralyzed his body so that he wouldn’t make any stupid moves like for instance shake the boy’s hand. His body and mind must have realised that this boy had they ability to bring Jojen to his knees and so was protecting him at all costs. Jojen managed a small smile however and willed his body to walk towards the door in order to commence the tour of the school and prevent him from making any more of a fool out of himself.

#

The introductions were done and they started the tour. Bran tried to plan out what route they would take around the school; it was as if he was trying to think about anything other than Jojen. Meera asked every question under the sun during their walk to the science wing.

‘What year are you in?’

‘What subjects do you do?’

‘What age are you?’

Bran answered all of those questions and then posed the same questions back to both Meera and Jojen. Bran was delighted to learn that Jojen was not only the same age as him but also in his year and attending some of his classes. Bran hoped with all of his heart that he and Jojen would become friends but there were too many variables’ to predict the outcome and so Bran settled on daydreaming about the endless possibilities. 

# 

When Jojen heard that he and bran were the same age he didn’t believe it. This was going to be fun he thought to himself. The tour came to an end 5 minutes before the first class ended and Meera had to leave the boys as she was in a classroom on the other side of the school. When she was gone the two boys compared timetable’s and found they were in the same class: room 32 for chemistry. 

‘Do you want to go together?’ Bran asked meekly and was happily surprised when Jojen accepted his offer.

The two boys made their way down the hall, oblivious to the world and talking animatedly about things that others wouldn’t understand. It was the beginning of something, what the boys didn’t know, but Meera did.


	6. Truth was She Knew Everything

Meera knew her brother better than anyone, even their dad. They had grown up to become inseparable. They spent nearly every day together and told each other almost everything. Meera told Jojen all about how she was jealous of her best friend and all the stories and gossip that came with being a teenage girl and Jojen told Meera about being bullied and about his fears at starting a new school. They were there for each other when their mother died and they supported one another when things got tough. Meera didn’t think she had any sort of super power that allowed her to get inside Jojens mind, it was the simple fact that she had been around him long enough to know his moods, what emotion’s he was harbouring and sometimes even his thoughts. She knew when Jojen was angry, when he was sad, when something was bothering him or even when he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words to say it. 

She remembered the day he crumbled, god she remembered it like it was yesterday. She can clearly still picture the defeated look on his face as he told her something he had kept hidden for years, something she already knew. 

Although Meera had figured it out it had taken her longer than it really should have. The hints were small but not invisible. Then again if you weren’t looking for them you would never have pieced it together. In all fairness Meera should have spotted the signs sooner, the way Jojen would tense up at the mention of him getting a girlfriend, the way he would flinch or go quite when his father would talk about those ‘queers’ who insist on ruining the sacrament of marriage, even on the way his eyes lingered to long on men or teenage boys they passed on the street, or even the way in the past couple of years he had become solemn and more reflective as if dwelling too much on a subject of great importance. 

When she had finally pieced it together it had made so much sense. She pitied him, she really did. She didn’t pity him for being gay because she knew that he was normal and there was nothing wrong with what he was feeling, but she pitied him because she knew not everyone would see it that way. If their mother were still alive she knew that Jojen would be more open and confident. Their mother would have accepted Jojen as he was and talked some sense into their father. But now she was gone Jojen only had Meera. Yes he had a father but they both knew he had no time for the people he termed ‘queers’ ‘fags’ or even sometimes ‘degenerates’. She knew it must have been hard on him but she came to the conclusion that Jojen was strong and he knew who he was at heart. She also concluded that Jojen would come to her when he was ready to talk about it and she vowed to be supportive. 

It happened one Sunday afternoon when Meera was quietly sitting in her room doodling and at the same time listening to some indie band that she had just discovered. She heard a faint knock on the door and a rather tired and defeated looking Jojen slowly dragged himself into the room and planted himself on the edge of her bed. 

‘Are you alright brother? you don’t look so good!’ Meera had said although she had a feeling she knew what he was about to tell her. It was not his pale face or even his shaking body that told her he was about to crumble and reveal who he really was, it was his eyes. His eyes usually so bright and intense looked dull and exhausted. 

‘Im gay’ Jojen had said so matter of factly. She knew he wasn’t capable of mincing his words; he was always so straightforward and confident when he spoke and even then when he was vulnerable he was no different 

Meera didn’t say anything she just hugged him and they both knew that gay or not it made no difference. They would always be blood and nothing could change that. It was clear he was relieved and Meera was happy to note that he looked a tiny bit better than he had just minutes before. They had discussed the fact that no one else knew for a brief period of time before Jojen had shot her down and told her she was the only one he would tell for the foreseeable future. They hadn’t spoken about it since.

And so when Meera witnessed the exchange between the two boys in the library she knew exactly what was happening. Jojen had a crush!! Meera had seen the shock on Jojens face when he had seen the young boy in the wheelchair whose name was Bran. She knew that they had to have meet or at least encountered one another sometime in the past as Jojen would never have reacted with such horror if the boy had of been a stranger. 

‘Are you okay? Do you guys know each other?’ she had said ever so calmly and she was lied to in an even calmer fashion by Jojen. She decided that rather than pry right there and then she would allow them to bond and become friends and then she would corner Jojen at home after school and interrogate him until he was begging for mercy. So she left and made her way to her first class all the while grinning at the thought of Jojen having a friend or maybe even something more.


	7. To Sit or Not to Sit

The walk to class went all too quick and before Bran knew it he was nervously waiting to enter the classroom. He was not nervous about the class itself, he had always had a love for science and all things chemistry, he was nervous about the fact that now the tour was over and he and Jojen had walked to class together Jojen had no reason to stay with him let alone sit with him. Bran wanted desperately for Jojen to sit next to him as the seat beside Bran had always been vacant but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Bran thought about the situation and came to the conclusion that Jojen had moved to the school for a new beginning and hardly wanted to be stuck with Bran and his big wheel chair for the rest of the school year. Before Bran had time to analyse the situation further the door to the classroom burst open and their chemistry teacher Mr.Lannister was ushering them into the classroom and shouting at them to quiet down.

#

Jojen didn’t know what to do! Did Bran even want him to sit beside him? Did he even have the right to just waltz into the school and take the seat next to Bran? Hell maybe Bran had a group of friends in this class and would much rather sit beside them. This was the first time since his coming out to Meera that Jojen had fretted and second guessed himself about a situation. He usually faced things head on and tackled them with the same concentration and focus he had always used, but this was different and Jojen was at a loss as to why. 

Jojen thought that he and Bran had a good chance at becoming friends after all they had talked non-stop after Meera had left to go to her class. They didn’t exactly have the same tastes in music or even TV shows but despite this the conversation flowed easily with barley any awkward silences. Jojen had learned a bit about Bran such as the constituents of his family and in return Jojen had offered the same information. It surprised him how easy it was to let someone in that wasn’t Meera. He knew he had trust issues but Bran just seemed to ease him into a sense of security and Jojen found himself wanting to tell Bran everything about his life. 

But still despite the fact that he felt comfortable and at home with Bran he still didn’t know whether it was acceptable to just assume that he would be Brans partner and companion for the class. Just when he was about to decide to leave Bran alone he had a thought, who else did he have? He had no one but Meera and she was in a different year than him. If he sat beside Bran he may look needy or even vulnerable but he would have one person and that had to count for something, right?

#

In the end Bran realised that there had been no need to worry in the first place as the only free seat in the room was beside him. After his accident the size of his friend group had slowly but surely decreased until it was just him and Osha. Osha hadn’t taken chemistry as a subject but instead decided that woodwork was more up her street. Bran didn’t particularly mind just having Osha and his family as in the end they were the only people who had stuck around and as a result the only people he truly cared about, until now.

Bran couldn’t help but beam as Jojen took the free seat next to him and began unpacking the books from his bag. In a way Bran felt like he had made a lifelong friend in Jojen but he knew it was too early to put labels on their friendship. It would be nice to show his parents and siblings that he was getting on with his life. For months after the accident Bran had been borderline depressed and for days on end he refused to speak to anyone. He didn’t have the will power to feign happiness and he hated the pitying looks his mother and father would give him. So he locked himself up in his room and amused himself with anything from reading to playing video games. His mother had tried everything to get him to come out of his shell but nothing seemed to work. Bran really tried to show his family that he was fine and content with his life but generally they didn’t believe him. Maybe Jojen could help him with that.

#

Jojen thanked all the gods that ever existed and all the gods that would exist that there was a free seat beside Bran. He smiled at the other boy as he began unpacking his bag and he felt that this was the beginning of something great. It was obvious the other boy appreciated the company just as much as Jojen did, if the blush that spread up his neck was anything to go by. Jojen had made Bran blush for a second time and it was just so damn cute that Jojen made it his life's mission to do that as much as he could.

#

For the other students in the boy’s chemistry class it was a rare occurrence for there to be a new kid in the class and an even rarer occasion when someone sat beside Bran. It was not that they didn’t like or even get along with him it was just that no one knew how to deal with him after the accident. Should they bring up sports or would that upset him? Were they able to hang out with him without accidentally saying something insulting? Either way they were all shocked when this rather tall and slightly thin looking boy strolled into the class after Bran and sat next to him with an air of nonchalance. The boys looked so cosy sitting beside one another and talking in hushed whispers as if they were the only people in the world. While the boys were oblivious to pretty much everyone in the room but each other they had failed to see the looks on everyone else faces and the whispers that accompanied them. 

And you know what they say about whispers, nothing good can ever come of them.


	8. Wait..... What Happend?

Bran was amazed at how quick the class went by but then again he never really had anyone to pass the time with. Chemistry was one of Brans favourite subjects and the one in which he seemed to excel in. The thought of the electrons in an atom whizzing around constantly was a concept that Bran often spent a lot of time thinking about, he found it fascinating and ever since his accident he had derived comfort in the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principal. He didn’t know why but the idea that it was impossible to determine the exact location and velocity of an electron in an atom at the same time made him feel less alone and insignificant in the world. It was like he didn’t feel so bad about not having the use of his legs because he knew that the electrons were making up for his static limbs by never ceasing to move. They were always fulfilling their purpose unlike his legs. It’s weird to think about his accident in terms of the movement of electrons and he knows it, but you can’t help what astounds you any more then you can help who you love. 

As a result of his interest in chemistry Bran was usually a quiet and diligent student whom Mr.Lannister had a great respect for, but on that day he really didn’t care what information he was missing out on or what Mr.Lannister was droning on about; Jojen was far more interesting. If Bran were telling the truth he really didn’t learn a lot about Jojen in the 40 minute class only that he and his sister Meera had moved school in order to escape a rather nasty bullying situation that involved him and some of his classmates. So in reality at the end of about 40 minutes Bran was no further on in his knowledge about Jojen only that he defiantly wanted Jojen as a long term friend and chemistry partner. 

When the bell rang Bran went about packing up his bag, he tried to keep the same pace as Jojen not wanting to rush or delay his new friend. They finished the task nearly simultaneously and both turned in unison heading for the door that would lead them out into the hallway. Bran was just about to question Jojen on what class he was in next when all of a sudden a dark shadow emerged in front of them blocking the exit of the classroom. Bran knew who it was almost immediately and cringed inwardly at the thought of what the notorious Ramsay Bolton wanted. Bran could tell by the mischievous smirk on his face that he was going to either physically hurt or verbally tease them and given the fact that Ramsay had quiet the penchant for both activities Bran really didn’t know what was coming. Brans stomach seemed to drop at the thought of Ramsay bullying Jojen, if it were anyone else Bran would have felt sorry for them but it wouldn’t have bothered him that much, but Jojen had moved school because of people like Bolton and Bran didn’t even want to think of Jojen moving school again; they had just met! He really couldn’t explain it but he felt oddly comfortable in Jojen’s presence and he wanted to spend more time with the boy in order to get to know him better.

‘Got yourself a boyfriend have you Stark? I knew you were a fag the second I laid eyes on you!’ 

Ramsay shouted rather loudly making sure the whole class and even some of the students in the hall had heard him. He ranted a bit more about those ‘freaks’ and their unnatural habits but he wasn’t happy with just degrading a whole demographic of people, no he also seemed to want to assault a cripple boy as well. Before Bran could react he was lifted halfway out of his wheelchair by his hair and dumped neatly onto the ground all the while being laughed at by Ramsay and a few of the other students in the room. Bran looked around, noted that Mr.Lannister was long gone and couldn’t help him and so resigned himself to sitting on the ground until Ramsay had had enough of making fun of him. He had had a few run ins with Ramsay before but nothing as extreme as this and to make matters worse Ramsay then started to tug him by the legs towards the door. Bran tried to fight him off but there was nothing he could do. Then Jojen stepped in.

#

Jojen was happy. Happy was not a thing Jojen was very often but sitting in the class beside Bran made him happy and warm and fuzzy inside but he would never tell anyone that, never. The bell had gone and Jojen noticed the way Bran kept pace with him while packing up. Jojen was never one to rush out of the classroom so he was grateful to have someone to keep him company even if it was just until they reached the corridor. 

Jojen was on cloud nine that was until this demented looking guy came out of nowhere and blocked the exit into the hallway preventing himself and Bran from leaving. There were a few other students still hanging around the classroom but it was blatantly clear that this crazed looking bully was aiming for the two of them. Jojen wondered what he could have possible done wrong while at the same time chanting the words ‘not again’ over and over in his head.

When Bran and Jojen got nearer to the boy in question he started spouting out hatful words and cruel mocking phrases that would usually have hurt even the most confidant and self-assured person, the only difference between Jojen and the aforementioned self-assured person was that Jojen experienced homophobia quiet regularly at home and so it didn’t bother him one bit. Hell his father was always going on about the queers and how they should all be drowned etc. etc. So Jojen wasn’t at all provoked by Ramsay and his words. But then Ramsay went for Bran and Jojen’s cool and calm demeanour left him immediately. 

It happened so quick, Jojen didn’t even feel his limbs move he just saw what the boy was doing to Bran and completely lost control of himself. Jojen never got angry and he hated violence but for some unknown reason seeing that bully lay even a finger on Bran stirred something in him. In the blink of an eye he had the brown haired bully in a head lock and was saying shit like ‘you touch him again and it will be the last thing you ever do’ and ‘do you value your life cause if you do you will leave him alone!’ What the hell he kept thinking he would never have usually stood up for someone in a fight, why was Bran so different? 

Jojen was shaking after he let go, he didn’t have a clue what came over him but ones things for sure is he had won. Ramsay had run out the door as soon as Jojen had let him go and would likely not be returning again for a second round. Jojen took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. Then Bran asked him why he did it and he could no longer deny the fact that Bran made him feel different; better, happier and maybe whole. He didn’t answer the question, well at least not loud enough for Bran to hear him pour his heart out anyway instead he helped Bran up from the floor and cautiously wheeled him out of the classroom without even asking permission to push him, it just seemed like the natural thing to do and so that’s what he did. 

#

What just happened? Bran kept asking himself that over and over again. No one had ever stood up for him in a situation like that before. He couldn’t get his heart beat to slow down and he was no doubt as red as a tomato. When he regained the ability to speak he asked Jojen quietly why he did it, why did he risk his place at the school for him. He didn’t receive an answer like he had expected to but he did think he heard Jojen mumble something along the lines of ‘because you’re the only one thing that matters’. Bran thought that they were the words he heard leave Jojen’s mouth but then again it could just have been his imagination; yeah it defiantly was just his imagination. 

The little incident had obviously attracted a few spectators because the number of students in the classroom had nearly doubled and they were all talking rather loudly about what had just occurred. Bran wanted to get out of the classroom and quick. Jojen was beside him like a light and he ever so gently assisted Bran back into the wheelchair. Before he could start to wheel himself towards the exit he felt hands on the back of his wheelchair and realised that Jojen was pushing him out of the classroom. He had never liked anyone helping him let alone pushing his wheelchair but this was Jojen, his new friend and the person who had just stood up for him against one of the most powerful people in the school Ramsay Bolton. 

#

Robb heard about Brans incident after chemistry class and the new kid who had come to his rescue.

Meera had heard about Jojen getting into a fight with the illustrious Ramsay Bolton. 

They were both equally as worried and curious as the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for reading :) xxxx


End file.
